Juventus president deals a blow to hopes of a European super league

Andrea Agnelli, the influential Juventus president, has dealt a blow to European super league talks by instead backing Champions League reforms.

The European Clubs’ Association (ECA) chairman said proposals to create four more group matches per club for the Uefa competition were “great”.

His intervention came a week after Fifa moved to kill off an alternative 20-club closed-shop breakaway, in which Juventus were being targeted by Real Madrid.

"Competitions at European level should be open to all," Agnelli said. "Everything should be based on sporting matters. We must keep the dream alive.”

Agnelli, speaking during an online address to the e-Think Sport Conference, said "more European games" are key to growing the game.

Uefa reform for the Champions League could see the introduction of the “Swiss system” often used in chess where 32 or 36 clubs in a single division are drawn to play 10 opponents based on seeding.

With the ECA leading the talks over Champions League reform from 2024, he added: “If we look at what’s happening at the moment we will have to tackle the issues of polarisation and competitive balance and the lack of interest. The so-called Swiss system is a very interesting system. It’s a great system, because it’s scalable so the number of games you play in the early stages are a non-predetermined number of games.”

The prospect of a European Super League has been met with opposition from football's leading governing bodies, amid concerns that it will be a threat to the Champions League. Fifa, the world governing body, said last week that any players who compete in a European Super League would be barred from international competitions.

Agnelli suggested a breakaway was not on his agenda, but he added: “Do we want to approach the future with a nostalgic or progressive view? We can think about the fans of the future or protect what we have always had. I think it is our duty to think ahead and ensure football remains the best sport in the world.”

Agnelli believed the Covid crisis will cost European football a total of £7.5 million by the end of the season.